**LOS ANGELES** — Luka Dončić made NBA history Sunday night with 45 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, five steals, and eight three-pointers, only to discover that the one thing he couldn't steal was five uninterrupted minutes on the Lakers bench.
The Slovenian superstar became the first player in NBA history to record at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and five three-pointers in a single game, apparently having exhausted every conventional method of impressing people.
Dončić shot 8-for-12 from deep, went a perfect 13-for-13 at the free-throw line, and helped Los Angeles build a commanding 26-point lead against Toronto.
Naturally, the Lakers interpreted this as an invitation to make things interesting.
After watching their reserves surrender 11 points in approximately 40 seconds, Los Angeles was forced to return Dončić and several starters to the floor with less than a minute remaining.
The Raptors had somehow transformed a comfortable blowout into a competitive basketball game, apparently unaware that Luka had already completed enough statistical achievements for one evening.
The Lakers eventually escaped with a 131–125 victory, narrowly avoiding a second spectacular collapse in three days.
Team officials reportedly praised Dončić's historic performance while acknowledging that allowing him to sit down without triggering a defensive emergency remains an area for improvement.
Dončić finished with five steals, proving he can take possession of the basketball almost whenever he wants.
Unfortunately, getting his teammates to keep possession of a 26-point lead remains significantly more difficult.
At this point, the only record he hasn't broken is the one for consecutive minutes of peaceful rest.
